Minnesota Star Tribune columnist. Hobbyist woodworker on Instagram: instagram.com/ericrpr/
Articles by Eric Roper
Roper: Mary Moriarty’s legacy looms over Hennepin County attorney race
Roper: Mary Moriarty’s legacy looms over Hennepin County attorney race Cedrick Frazier and Anders Folk represent a fork in the road, four years after the county lurched toward reform. October 18, 2026 at 5:00AM Anders Folk and Cedrick Frazier. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Here we are again. Another one of those weighty moments in modern Minneapolis history, when the city and its county will choose a new prosecutor to navigate the post-George Floyd era.
Roper: The group behind the Twin Cities’ biggest ideas needs a lifeline
Roper: The group behind the Twin Cities’ biggest ideas needs a lifeline The Citizens League was the secret sauce of Minnesota’s most innovative era. Now a funding crunch has forced it to pull back. October 9, 2026 at 6:00AM A Citizens League registration area at Northwestern National Bank Building in 1956, featuring then-Minneapolis Mayor Eric Hoyer, center. Comment Gift Share The Metropolitan Council. Three Rivers Park District. Metro State University. Charter schools.
Roper: Waymo debate exposes Minnesota’s political traffic jam
Roper: Waymo debate exposes Minnesota’s political traffic jam Minneapolis is trying to protect jobs with a doomed driverless-car rule. State lawmakers’ failure made this City Hall farce possible. October 2, 2026 at 6:00AM A Waymo car testing Minneapolis streets travels on 7th Street in downtown Minneapolis this July.
Roper: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Chief Axel Henry have reached the point of no return
Roper: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Chief Axel Henry have reached the point of no return Henry’s lawsuit against the mayor and city this week is an extraordinary development that puts St. Paul in largely uncharted waters. September 25, 2026 at 1:04PM St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry waits for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her to deliver her first budget address in August 2026. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share There’s no going back now.
Roper: The answer to Minneapolis’ smashed windows is in St. Paul
Roper: The answer to Minneapolis’ smashed windows is in St. Paul St. Paul doesn’t see many reports of car window smashings and has gotten a handle on related crimes that persist in Minneapolis. September 24, 2026 at 6:00AM One of the many cars that suspects broke the windows of along 2nd Street Northeast in Minneapolis on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Roper: Minneapolis Public Schools’ word salad won’t sell the city on closures
Roper: Minneapolis Public Schools’ word salad won’t sell the city on closures A long-awaited plan to close schools needs a more compelling and understandable pitch to win over the public. September 18, 2026 at 6:00AM Ty Thompson, deputy superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, answered questions from the board at a meeting on September 15.
Roper: Kaohly Her’s CFO eye finds plenty to fix at St. Paul City Hall
Roper: Kaohly Her’s CFO eye finds plenty to fix at St. Paul City Hall Nine months into her first term, the former financial pro sees plenty of broken systems under the hood of city government. But she also has to overcome a scandal. September 11, 2026 at 6:00AM St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her delivered her first budget address in August 2026. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Ribbon cuttings and major announcements often shape a mayor’s public image.
Roper: Minnesota’s next governor should make the Twin Cities work better
Roper: Minnesota’s next governor should make the Twin Cities work better The governor is technically the boss of the Twin Cities area, which has plenty of problems that need coordinated solutions. August 31, 2026 at 3:10PM U.S. Bank Stadium and the downtown Minneapolis skyline in 2016. (Carlos Gonzalez) Comment Gift Share The governor of Minnesota is legally the boss of the Twin Cities region. And it’s about time they acted the part.
Roper: Has Blaine’s $200 million ‘destination city’ gamble gone too far?
Roper: Has Blaine’s $200 million ‘destination city’ gamble gone too far? The city is pumping subsidies into a new district beside the National Sports Center with shaky plans for how it all gets repaid. August 25, 2026 at 6:00AM A rendering of the 5,000-seat baseball stadium and event center under construction in the city of Blaine's 105th Avenue redevelopment.
Roper: License plate readers mapped my routine. But Flock makes the surveillance more troubling.
Roper: License plate readers mapped my routine. But Flock makes the surveillance more troubling. Recent vandalism of Flock license plate cameras illustrates a growing backlash against the technology, which began as a more localized police tool. A Flock Safety license plate reader in Columbia Heights was covered up when it was photographed in June 2026.
Roper: Reclaiming troubled Minneapolis corner is a big test for the city
Roper: Reclaiming troubled Minneapolis corner is a big test for the city A Nicollet Ave. corner has become a hub of drug dealing and violence. After federal arrests and round-the-clock policing, cops say they’re ‘not giving [it] back to these groups.’ 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue is now under full-time surveillance by police after a spate of shootings in the area.
Roper: Voters deserve to know the meat behind Wienergate claims against Mayor Her
Roper: Voters deserve to know the meat behind Wienergate claims against Mayor Her The police chief’s complaint against the mayor raises questions about whether they’re on speaking terms. St. Paul mayor Kaohly Her delivers the State of the City address at the International Institute of Minnesota in April 2026. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her promised voters last fall that she’d get back to basics.
Roper: Aquatennial 2.0 proves Minneapolis still celebrates itself
Roper: Aquatennial 2.0 proves Minneapolis still celebrates itself The event is in new hands after the Downtown Council dropped it last year. Its signature torchlight parade runs Wednesday night on Nicollet Mall. Water-skiiers perform with the River Rats on the Mississippi River on Wednesday July, 24, 2024, in an Aquatennial show in Minneapolis.
Roper: Secluded new Minneapolis light-rail station is a puzzling stop at the beach
Eric Roper, Star Tribune Sign up here to follow this column by email. Minneapolis' “Hidden Beach” is about to become the most transit-accessible spot in our region to catch some rays. Starting next year, Green Line trains heading to and from the southwestern suburbs will stop every few minutes at one of the stranger urban light rail stops in the Twin Cities — the 21st Street Station.
Roper: Secluded new Minneapolis light-rail station is a puzzling stop at the beach
Roper: Secluded new Minneapolis light-rail station is a puzzling stop at the beach The 21st Street Station on the Green Line has a dubious purpose, and dreams of bringing riders there by bus are fading. The 21st Street Green Line station is located in Minneapolis' secluded Kenilworth corridor. (Eric Roper/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Minneapolis’ “Hidden Beach” is about to become the most transit-accessible spot in our region to catch some rays.
Roper: A tiny suburb will have a giant say in the region’s future. Will it see the big picture?
Roper: A tiny suburb will have a giant say in the region’s future. Will it see the big picture? Redevelopment of Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, the region’s largest urban development site, illustrates the pitfalls of having too many cities. The shuttered Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, bordered by Lauderdale and Roseville, as photographed in April 2026.
Roper: This July 4th, tell the Park Board to show George Washington some respect
Roper: This July 4th, tell the Park Board to show George Washington some respect A Minneapolis statue of Washington has languished in storage since vandals yanked it down in 2020. It’s time to rectify that. The statue of George Washington in Washburn Fair Oaks Park, after it was toppled in 2020. (Shari L. Gross/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share I have a Big American Birthday mission. And I need your help.
Roper: 6 things Minneapolis should do to fix Nicollet Mall
Roper: 6 things Minneapolis should do to fix Nicollet Mall After years of chatter, the city needs to take more urgent action to improve its signature street. The fenced-off "Theater In The Round" outside Central Library illustrates the years of indecision about how to approach the mall's future.
Roper: Lyndale Avenue bike lane fight misses the real problem
Roper: Lyndale Avenue bike lane fight misses the real problem The overhaul of a key south Minneapolis artery will make it more pleasant to visit. But we can’t afford to have construction kill small businesses. A rendering of the proposed design of Lyndale Avenue near Franklin Avenue, showing a bus lane and protected bike lane. (Hennepin County) Comment Gift Share I used to think the Minneapolis bike lane debates of yesteryear were over — and thankfully, the bike lanes had won.
Roper: New pocket park could help revive a storied South Side corner
Roper: New pocket park could help revive a storied South Side corner Once the anchor of Minneapolis’ most prosperous Black neighborhood, 38th Street and 4th Avenue is getting fresh attention from the city. Greg McMoore has been pushing for the creation of a pocket park at 38th Street and 4th Avenue and hopes it is a catalyst for other activity near the area.
Roper: Brian O’Hara wasn’t The One after all
Roper: Brian O’Hara wasn’t The One after all The hype and unity that accompanied the former chief’s 2022 appointment will be hard to recreate. Former Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara's savvy media persona sometimes papered over his failings as an administrator. (Leila Navidi) Comment Gift Share He was supposed to be The One. Tapped for Minneapolis police chief less than a year after the city took a divided vote on abolishing the department altogether, Brian O’Hara pulled off a stunning feat.
Roper: North Oaks sewer debacle illustrates the high cost of urban sprawl
Roper: North Oaks sewer debacle illustrates the high cost of urban sprawl The tony enclave is one of several low-density places that want regional wastewater service due to failing septic systems. James J. Hill's grandson turned North Oaks into a Xanadu of country living. But, as they say, everybody poops.
Roper: Jacob Frey needs a clearer vision for Minneapolis
Roper: Jacob Frey needs a clearer vision for Minneapolis A speech next week may show whether Frey 3.0 is ready to tackle headwinds facing the city. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Minneapolis on Friday, February 13.
Roper: Only one of our Twin Cities appears serious about reviving its downtown
Roper: Only one of our Twin Cities appears serious about reviving its downtown The urgency of leaders in St. Paul to resuscitate the downtown market should be instructive for Minneapolis. April 24, 2026 at 11:00AM A rendering of the park at RiversEdge shows Ramsey County's vision to build a concrete lid over Shepard Road, connecting downtown St. Paul to the Mississippi River.
Roper: Hunger strikers say the government is wrong about incinerator’s risks. I don’t buy it.
Roper: Hunger strikers say the government is wrong about incinerator’s risks. I don’t buy it. Let’s boost recycling rates before closing the garbage burner near downtown Minneapolis. April 17, 2026 at 11:00AM Operators fluff the garbage at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center in 2024 to make it easier to burn.
Roper: Is now the right time for Minneapolis to loosen its drug laws?
Roper: Is now the right time for Minneapolis to loosen its drug laws? Rampant open drug use in some areas of the city reflects a problem with our local response to opioids. But there could also be logic to legalizing paraphernalia. April 14, 2026 at 11:00AM A needle on the ground in south Minneapolis, photographed in 2020.
Roper: The new season of Minneapolis City Council is must-see TV, in a bad way
Roper: The new season of Minneapolis City Council is must-see TV, in a bad way Constant eruptions at City Hall have been exhausting to watch, while the city has real problems to tackle. April 11, 2026 at 11:00AM The City Council gathered for their first meeting of the year in January.
Roper: Metro Transit’s visible investment in light-rail safety is refreshing good news for the region
Roper: Metro Transit’s visible investment in light-rail safety is refreshing good news for the region It has become common to encounter some official presence while riding the train. But riders have been slow to return. Trip agents C. Robinson and Chris Hamilton ride the Green Line in St. Paul in August 2025.
What’s next for Uptown? Star Tribune journalists answered your questions
What’s next for Uptown? Star Tribune journalists answered your questions The Uptown Theater marquee on Hennepin and Lagoon avenues on July 14 in Minneapolis. (Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Uptown has long been one of Minneapolis’ most recognizable neighborhoods — and one of its most debated. Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Eric Roper and reporter Deena Winter recently offered two distinct perspectives on where Uptown stands today, and where it could go next.
Roper: Five great ideas to improve Uptown, the Twin Cities' most enduring commercial hub
Eric Roper, Star Tribune to follow this column by email. We were headed into a campaign season last April when Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey promised that Uptown would begin to rebound within the year. “There will be buds of success and progress that you will start to see,” Frey told a packed crowd at the Seven Points mall. Unfortunately, you'd have better luck finding buds these days in one of the local dispensaries.
Roper: Five great ideas to improve Uptown, the Twin Cities’ most enduring commercial hub
Roper: Five great ideas to improve Uptown, the Twin Cities’ most enduring commercial hub From parking to alleys, a new study of Uptown has plenty of suggestions for the district. March 27, 2026 at 11:00AM The Uptown Theater marquee on Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues, photographed in July 2025.
Roper: Minneapolis Public Schools' doom loop is a threat to the city's future
Eric Roper, Star Tribune to follow this column by email. Healthy public schools are a key ingredient for a great city. And by this measure, Minneapolis could be cooked. After decades of dropping enrollment, Minneapolis Public Schools is caught in a financial perma-crisis and inching closer to insolvency. The district must make cuts over the next three months to square a $50 million budget deficit — a shortfall three times larger than any other metro area district.
Roper: Minneapolis Public Schools’ doom loop is a threat to the city’s future
Roper: Minneapolis Public Schools’ doom loop is a threat to the city’s future After decades of dropping enrollment, nearly half of Minneapolis kids don’t attend the local school district. That’s alarming. Students from Clara Barton Open School wait on a school bus in 2024. (David Joles/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Listen Print Healthy public schools are a key ingredient for a great city. And by this measure, Minneapolis could be cooked.
Roper: On St. Paul’s W. 7th, better transit is always behind schedule
Roper: On St. Paul’s W. 7th, better transit is always behind schedule A recent decision to install a rapid bus line on the road signals the end of a decades-long neighborhood debate. March 12, 2026 at 11:00AM The Route 54 bus cruises past Mancini's, a classic eatery on W. 7th Street, on a recent afternoon. (Eric Roper/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Listen Print The Twin Cities region has endured plenty of interminable debates over local transit lines.
Roper: HCMC is too big to fail, but Hennepin County leaders say it’s now on life support.
Roper: HCMC is too big to fail, but Hennepin County leaders say it’s now on life support. The county wants a sales tax expansion to save Minnesota’s largest public hospital. That solution falls too heavily on one part of the region. The Hennepin County Medical Center's emergency department serves patients from around the state. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press) Comment Gift Share Listen Print The condition of Minnesota’s largest public hospital has sunk from critical to life support.
Roper: Why Minneapolis' dreams for former Kmart site could take decades to materialize
Eric Roper, Star Tribune to follow this column by email. It is poetic that Minneapolis intends to reopen Nicollet Avenue at Lake Street this year, precisely half a century after the city's ill-fated decision to plant a Kmart in the middle of the thoroughfare. Hopefully, this tidy timeline isn't also a bad omen. After all, the city only buckled for the big box retailer in 1976 because few developers wanted to buy into its grand vision for the intersection.
Roper: Stakes are too high for City Council’s performative politics over hotel liquor licenses
Roper: Stakes are too high for City Council’s performative politics over hotel liquor licenses Progressives seem intent on kneecapping one of downtown’s most important event venues, the Depot, just when the city most needs visitors. February 18, 2026 at 8:43PM The Minneapolis City Council is considering denying liquor license renewals for two downtown hotels, including one at the Depot, a massive event venue that draws a steady stream of visitors to the city’s core.
Roper: Washington warned us about this moment. For America’s 250th, Minneapolis should lift him up.
Roper: Washington warned us about this moment. For America’s 250th, Minneapolis should lift him up. Restoring the vandalized statue of George Washington, and tapping into his wisdom, could be a potent symbol during this anniversary. February 12, 2026 at 12:32PM The statue of George Washington in Washburn Fair Oaks Park, photographed in 1931.
Roper: Sheriff Witt’s decision raises tricky questions about how to end this nightmare
Roper: Sheriff Witt’s decision raises tricky questions about how to end this nightmare Hennepin County’s top law enforcement officer is mulling limited cooperation with ICE to help wind down the federal government’s immigration surge. February 7, 2026 at 8:00PM Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt speaks to reporters on Feb. 6 at Minneapolis City Hall.
Eric Roper: How Minnesota’s civic culture fueled a tough ICE resistance and took the feds by surprise
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... MINNEAPOLIS — They can’t seem to believe it. Federal officials, talking about Minneapolis all over the place, keep stressing just how unusual this resistance is. They’ve never seen anything like it. “In one city — in one city we have this outrage and this powder keg happening,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said recently on Fox News. “And it’s not right. And it doesn’t happen anywhere else.” Blanche and all the others have been blaming Gov.
Minnesota’s civic culture fueled bold ICE resistance
MINNEAPOLIS — They can’t seem to believe it. Federal officials, talking about Minneapolis all over the place, keep stressing just how unusual this resistance is. They’ve never seen anything like it. “In one city — in one city we have this outrage and this powder keg happening,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said recently on Fox News. “And it’s not right. And it doesn’t happen anywhere else.” Blanche and all the others have been blaming Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey.
Roper: How Minnesota’s civic culture fueled a tough ICE resistance and took the feds by surprise
MINNEAPOLIS — They can’t seem to believe it. Federal officials, talking about Minneapolis all over the place, keep stressing just how unusual this resistance is. They’ve never seen anything like it. “In one city — in one city we have this outrage and this powder keg happening,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said recently on Fox News. “And it’s not right. And it doesn’t happen anywhere else.” Blanche and all the others have been blaming Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey.
Column: Libertarians are outraged by ICE tactics. Will conservatives listen?
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... They consider taxation to be theft, oppose gun regulations and want to dismantle the welfare state. But they’re also plenty mad about the federal operation in the Twin Cities. Meet the libertarians. The bastions of smaller government and individual freedom have planted their “Don’t Tread On Me” flag in the ground opposing the ICE surge in Minnesota and the “unconstitutional and violent” actions of federal agents.
How Minnesota’s civic culture fueled a tough ICE resistance and took the feds by surprise
MINNEAPOLIS — They can’t seem to believe it. Federal officials, talking about Minneapolis all over the place, keep stressing just how unusual this resistance is. They’ve never seen anything like it. “In one city — in one city we have this outrage and this powder keg happening," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said recently on Fox News. “And it’s not right. And it doesn’t happen anywhere else.” Blanche and all the others have been blaming Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey.
Eric Roper: How Minnesota’s civic culture fueled a tough ICE resistance and took the feds by surprise
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Roper: Why Minnesota became the epicenter of a national immigration crisis
Roper: Why Minnesota became the epicenter of a national immigration crisis The local resistance to a surge of federal agents reflects the state’s civically engaged culture. January 29, 2026 at 12:00PM Federal immigration agents stand with weapons drawn along Portland Avenue Jan. 7 near the scene of Renee Good's killing earlier that day. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Listen Print They can’t seem to believe it.
Libertarians are outraged by ICE tactics. Will conservatives listen? | Eric Roper
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Eric Roper: Libertarians say no to ICE
“Once we give this power to the federal government, we set a precedent that can never be undone,” Rebecca Whiting, the chair of Minnesota’s Libertarian party, told me earlier this month. Whiting recently joined an anti-ICE protest outside the Whipple Building. Libertarians are royally ticked off about the federal operation in the Twin Cities.
Eric Roper
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